US9564704B2 - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Connector assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
US9564704B2
US9564704B2 US14/895,516 US201314895516A US9564704B2 US 9564704 B2 US9564704 B2 US 9564704B2 US 201314895516 A US201314895516 A US 201314895516A US 9564704 B2 US9564704 B2 US 9564704B2
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United States
Prior art keywords
connector
lock
slider
latch
assembly according
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Active
Application number
US14/895,516
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US20160111808A1 (en
Inventor
Gert Droesbeke
Aymeric Soudy
Gerard Marie Leon PEQUIGNOT
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Amphenol FCI Asia Pte Ltd
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FCI Asia Pte Ltd
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Assigned to FCI Asia Pte Ltd. reassignment FCI Asia Pte Ltd. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: DROESBEKE, GERT, PEQUIGNOT, Gerard Marie Leon, SOUDY, AYMERIC
Publication of US20160111808A1 publication Critical patent/US20160111808A1/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
    • H01R13/502—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces
    • H01R13/506—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces assembled by snap action of the parts
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/381—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres
    • G02B6/3825—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
    • G02B6/38—Mechanical coupling means having fibre to fibre mating means
    • G02B6/3807—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs
    • G02B6/389—Dismountable connectors, i.e. comprising plugs characterised by the method of fastening connecting plugs and sockets, e.g. screw- or nut-lock, snap-in, bayonet type
    • G02B6/3893—Push-pull type, e.g. snap-in, push-on
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/7005—Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
    • H01R13/627—Snap or like fastening
    • H01R13/6271—Latching means integral with the housing
    • H01R13/6272—Latching means integral with the housing comprising a single latching arm
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
    • H01R13/639—Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/64—Means for preventing incorrect coupling
    • H01R13/641—Means for preventing incorrect coupling by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
    • H01R13/436—Securing a plurality of contact members by one locking piece or operation
    • H01R13/4367—Insertion of locking piece from the rear
    • H01R13/4368—Insertion of locking piece from the rear comprising a temporary and a final locking position
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R2201/00—Connectors or connections adapted for particular applications
    • H01R2201/26—Connectors or connections adapted for particular applications for vehicles

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a connector assembly of two complementary connectors locked together by a latch mechanism.
  • a connector assembly can for instance comprise a cable connector and an on-board pin header connector on a printed circuit board or a similar substrate.
  • the connectors can for example be electrical connectors or optical connectors.
  • connection position assurance CPA
  • CPA connection position assurance
  • a connector assembly comprising a first connector and a second connector, the first connector comprising a latch having a snap end for engaging a snap section of the second connector and an opposite lock end.
  • the snap section can for example be a notch, a cam, or a ridge.
  • the latch is connected to a main body of the first connector and pivots about a pivot axis positioned between the snap end and the lock end. The latch is pivotable about this pivot axis between a snap position and a release position.
  • a lock is provided for engaging the lock end of the latch. This blocks pivoting of the latch and secures the latch in the snap position.
  • the first connector comprises a connector housing with one or more sliding guides, the lock being a slider lock with complementary sliding guides for guiding movement of the slider lock to a securing position where it locks the lock end of the latch to secure locking by the latch.
  • the sliding guides may for instance extend in an assembly direction coinciding with a connecting direction of the connector assembly.
  • the slider lock and the lock end may have side edges engaging to form a sliding guide.
  • the slider lock can for example have a cable passage and cap a cable entry side of the connector, so as to protect other parts of the connector.
  • the slider lock may for example comprise a slider strip received in a recess of the latch.
  • This recess may for example extend into a longitudinal direction of the latch from the lock end into the direction of the snap end, the recess crossing the pivot axis.
  • the slider strip stiffens the latch, further reducing the risk of unintentional disengagement from the snap section of the second connector.
  • the strip can be sunk within the latch to minimize space consumption.
  • the recess and the part of the slider lock received in the recess may have matching dovetail cross sections or any other suitable interlocking cross sections.
  • the slider lock comprises a top edge with two recesses flanking the slider strip, wherein the lock end of the latch is provided with flaps fitting in the respective recesses.
  • the pivot axis may substantially coincide with an edge of the top edge section of the slider lock.
  • the flaps can be telescopically received in the recesses by means of sliding guides. These measures help to prevent the latch from pivoting into its release position disengaging the snap section of the second connector.
  • the risk of unintentional disengagement of the latch can be further reduced by providing the slider lock with a bulge at the lock end of the latch, the bulge engaging a contact surface of the first connector when the slider lock is in the securing position.
  • the slider lock and the latch can have outer surfaces which are flush with each other.
  • the latch can be received in a recess in a surface of the second connector.
  • the slider lock and the latch can have outer surfaces which are flush with an outer surface of the second connector. If in the final assembly the flush outer surface is parallel to a connected printed circuit board consumption of space above the assembly is minimized. If the flush outer surface is under an angle with, e.g., perpendicular to a connected printed circuit board, the covered part of the circuit board area is minimized.
  • the slider lock can comprise a top front face at the lock end of the latch, and two ears at both ends of the top front face extending over side faces of the first connector.
  • the slider lock can further comprise a top flange at a cable entry side of the first connector, the top flange being connected to the top front face and to the ears and having a recess defining a cable passage.
  • the ears, the top flange and the top front face will typically be substantially orthogonal relative to each other. Such a slider lock firmly caps the first connector blocking pivoting of the latch.
  • the ears have inner surfaces with two or more indentations separated by a stop, while the first connector is provided with resilient arms snapped into the respective first indentations when the slider lock is in a first position, and into the respective second indentations when the slider lock is in the securing position.
  • the slider lock has a terminal end protruding beyond the snap end of the latch when the slider lock is in the securing position.
  • the terminal end of the slider lock can be received in a matching recess in the second connector. This holds down the snap end of the latch.
  • the connector assembly e.g., the first connector
  • retention means such as a non-release snap fit holding the lock in a first position before it is moved into its locking position.
  • the snap section may for example comprises a cam chamfered at both sides in a connecting/disconnecting direction to prevent a stable intermediate rest position. If the force during assembly is too small, the latch may slide back, preventing unintentional coupling. If the force exerted during assembly is sufficiently large to pass the cam, the latch will slide in place over the chamfered surface.
  • the connecting/disconnecting direction is the direction of relative movement of the lock and the connector housing during assembly or disassembly.
  • the assembly e.g., the first connector
  • the assembly can for example be provided with resilient spring elements, such as resilient lips, engaging the lock end of the latch to bias the latch to its snap position.
  • the resilient lips can for example be comprised at one side of a clip holding terminal contacts, the latch forming part of an outer housing encasing the clip.
  • the outer housing may comprise openings receiving the lips to allow the lips to engage the lock end of the latch.
  • the lips also form a polarization feature, allowing only one orientation of the clip during insertion into the outer housing.
  • the first connector may for example be a cable connector
  • the second connector may for example be an on-board pin header connector.
  • both connectors can be cable connectors.
  • the assembly comprises a cable connector and an on board connector, such as an on-board pin header connector, wherein the cable connector comprises the latch and the slider lock.
  • the pin header connector may comprise the latch and/or the slider lock.
  • a connector configured as a first connector or as a second connector in a connector assembly as disclosed above.
  • a housing is disclosed for a connector configured as a first connector or as a second connector in an assembly as disclosed above.
  • the disclosed connectors are particularly useful for use in the automotive field, e.g., for connecting LED lamps to a PCB controlling and/or powering the LED lamps.
  • FIG. 1A shows an exemplary embodiment of an assembly with a cable connector and a complementary pin header connector
  • FIG. 1B shows the assembly of FIG. 1A from a different view point
  • FIG. 2A shows the pin header connector of FIG. 1A ;
  • FIG. 2B shows the connector of FIG. 2A from a different view point
  • FIG. 2C shows the connector of FIG. 2A in exploded view
  • FIG. 3A shows the cable connector of FIG. 1A ;
  • FIG. 3B shows the connector of FIG. 3A from a different view point
  • FIG. 3C shows the connector of FIG. 3A in exploded view
  • FIG. 4 shows a terminal contact of the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIG. 5 shows a detail of the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIG. 6 shows in detail two terminal contacts positioned in the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIG. 7 shows in cross section a detail of the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIG. 8 shows a housing with a slider lock of the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIGS. 9A-E shows in cross section consecutive assembly steps of the cable connector of FIG. 2A ;
  • FIGS. 10A-C shows consecutive assembly steps of the assembly of FIG. 1A ;
  • FIG. 11 shows in cross section a detail of the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIG. 12 shows in detail partially in cross section the inner side of the cable connector of FIG. 3A ;
  • FIG. 13 shows the connector assembly of FIG. 1 in cross section
  • FIG. 14 shows an alternative embodiment of a cable connector
  • FIG. 15 shows a partial cross section of the connector of FIG. 14 .
  • FIGS. 1A and 1B show two perspective views of an assembly 1 of an on-board pin header connector 2 on a printed circuit board (not shown) and a complementary cable connector 3 .
  • the connectors 2 , 3 as shown are locked and secured in the locked position, as will be explained in detail hereinafter.
  • the pin header connector 2 is shown separately in FIGS. 2A-C and comprises a hollow housing 4 and a plurality of parallel contact pins 6 .
  • Each contact pin 6 has one end 7 extending in the cavity 5 of the housing ( FIG. 2B ), while its other end 8 extends outside the housing 4 ( FIG. 2A ) for connection to a printed circuit board (not shown).
  • the housing has an open front side 9 (see FIG. 2B ) providing access to the cavity 5 , a closed back side 11 (see FIG. 2A ) and two side faces 12 , 13 provided with an octagonal projection 14 .
  • a hold down member 17 with an octagonal opening 18 fits over the octagonal projection 14 and comprises a lower flange 19 for connection to the printed circuit board. Due to the octagonal fit, the two hold down members 17 can fixate the pin header connector 2 in a horizontal position (see FIGS. 2A and 2B ), a 45 degrees position or a vertical position (see FIG. 13 ).
  • the top side 21 of the housing 4 of the pin header connector 2 is provided with a recess 22 extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the pins 6 .
  • a first section 23 of the recess 22 extends from the open side 9 of the housing 4 and has a rectangular cross sectional shape.
  • a second section 24 of the recess 22 extends between the first section 23 and the closed back side 11 of the housing 4 .
  • the width of the recess 22 is less than at the first section 23 .
  • Two oppositely directed flanges 26 narrow the open side of the recess 22 at the second section 24 .
  • the recess 22 has a narrower lower part 27 and a wider upper part 28 .
  • the recess 22 is bridged by a strip 29 .
  • a snap section 30 formed by a projection with a height well below the depth of the recess 22 and with a front side 31 slanting down in the direction of the open side 9 of the housing 4 .
  • the top side of the projection 30 is flat.
  • the top face may slant down in the direction of the strip 29 , as will be explained here after.
  • FIGS. 3A-C show the cable connector 3 , which comprises a housing 36 , an inner clip 37 and a slider lock 38 .
  • FIG. 3A shows the connector 3 before the slider lock 38 is pushed into its securing position.
  • the clip 37 comprises parallel slots 39 for receiving terminal contacts 41 extending between a cable entry side of the clip 37 and a pin receiving side of the clip 37 .
  • a separate terminal contact 41 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4 .
  • Each terminal contact 41 has one end with a cable crimp connection 42 crimped to a cable end 43 .
  • the terminal contacts 41 comprise two parallel resilient contact beams 44 , 45 with tips 47 forced apart by an oppositely directed third resilient contact beam 48 .
  • the third beam 48 preloads the two parallel contact beams 44 , 45 resulting in a firm contact pressure with an inserted contact pin 6 of a complementary pin header connector 2 .
  • a base strip 49 facing the third contact beam 48 is connected to the two parallel contact beams 44 , 45 by two oppositely arranged flanges 51 , 52 at either side of the base strip 49 .
  • the end of the base strip 49 is connected to the third contact beam 48 by a third flange 53 .
  • the flanges 51 , 52 , 53 and the contact beams 44 , 45 are substantially under right angles with the base strip 49 .
  • the third contact beam 48 is parallel to the base strip 49 .
  • a pin receiving opening 54 of the terminal contact 41 is confined by:
  • a gap 57 remains between the fourth flange 56 and the third contact beam 48 .
  • the gap 57 provides additional flexibility to the base strip 49 .
  • the fourth flange 56 protrudes above an upper face of the third contact beam 48 and is provided with a hook 58 pointing in the direction of the cable crimp connection 42 .
  • the flange 52 that is in line with the third flange 53 protrudes above an upper face of the third contact beam 48 to form a key flange or flag.
  • the contact beam 45 in line with the third flange 53 is somewhat shorter than the contact beam 44 in line with the hooked fourth flange.
  • the three contact beams 44 , 45 , 48 provide staggered contact points to contact a pin 6 of the pin header connector 2 .
  • the terminal contacts 41 have a sloping middle section 60 connecting the side of the pin receiving opening 54 with the side of the crimp connection 42 (see also FIG. 6 ).
  • the sloping section 60 offsets the pin receiving opening 54 from the crimp connection 42 to prevent direct contact between an inserted contact pin of a mating header connector with the crimp connection 42 .
  • the terminal contacts 41 are clipped into the longitudinal slots 39 of the clip 37 , as shown in FIG. 5 .
  • the slots 39 are profiled to match the shape of the terminal contacts 41 to receive these in only one single possible position.
  • the terminal contacts 41 fit in the slots 39 with a clearance fit to keep the contacts 41 floating within the assembled cable connector. This floating helps to reduce vibration sensitivity.
  • the slots 39 of the clip 37 include a middle slot 61 accessible from one side of the clip 37 , and two slots 62 , 63 flanking the middle slot 61 , which are accessible from an opposite side of the clip 37 .
  • the slots 39 are provided with flexible snap hooks 64 snapping around the cable ends 43 .
  • a first slot 62 is formed between a snap hook 64 and a side wall 66 of the clip 37 .
  • the middle slot 61 and the third slot 63 are formed between two adjacent snap hooks 64 pointing in opposite directions.
  • the first terminal contact 41 is clipped into the first slot 62 . Subsequently, a second terminal contact 41 is clipped into the middle slot 61 , thereby locking the first slot 62 with the first terminal contact 41 . Similarly, the second terminal contact 41 is locked by clipping the third terminal contact 41 into the third slot 63 .
  • the pin receiving side of the clip 37 is provided with a first retention slot 67 receiving the hook 58 of the respective terminal contact 41 (see FIG. 6 ).
  • the gap 57 provides additional flexibility to the base strip 49 so the hook 58 can snap easier into the retention slot 67 during assembly, while the contact beams 44 , 45 remain pre-loaded.
  • the projecting key flange 52 in line with the third flange 53 is received in a matching second retention slot 68 within the slot 39 receiving the terminal contact 39 .
  • the retention slots 67 , 68 can be dimensioned in such a way that a tensile force exerted via the cable end will first stress the key flange 52 in the second retention slot 68 .
  • the hooked third flange 56 in the first retention slot 67 mainly serves as a back-up lock. However, if the tensile force slightly deforms the retention slot 68 holding key flange 52 , it will also pull the hooked third flange 56 in the first retention slot 67 . This provides an additional reaction force, by which the total reaction force is increased. This helps to reduce stresses at the area of the contact beams 44 , 45 .
  • the housing 36 is formed as a symmetrical sleeve with a rectangular outline in cross section having an open cable entry side 71 and a pin entry side with a row of openings 72 ( FIG. 3A ). After assembly each opening 72 exposes a pin receiving opening 54 of an associated terminal contact 41 .
  • the side faces of the clip 37 are provided with resilient flaps 73 ( FIG. 3C ).
  • the side edge 74 of the flap 73 directed to the pin entry side 72 is connected to the rest of the clip 37 .
  • Side faces of the housing 36 are provided with openings 75 receiving the resilient flaps 73 when the clip 37 is slid into the housing 36 .
  • the slider lock 38 has a T-shaped body with a slider strip 76 centrally extending from a front face edge 77 near the cable entry side 71 in the direction of the pin receiving side 72 .
  • the slider strip 76 has a narrow front part 78 symmetrically topping a wider backbone 79 .
  • the wider backbone 79 shows a narrowed section 81 about halfway its length (see FIGS. 3C and 7 ).
  • the front face edge 77 is flanged with a top flange 110 partly covering the cable entry side of the housing 36 and having a recess 111 defining a passage opening for the connected cables 43 .
  • the outer ends of the front face edge 77 and the outer ends of the top flange 110 are connected by downwardly extending ears 96 .
  • the ears 96 have profiled surfaces to provide a better grip.
  • the ears 96 , the top flange 110 and the front face edge 77 are orthogonal relative to each other.
  • the front face edge 77 has two symmetrically arranged recesses 112 at both sides of the slider strip 76 .
  • Both recesses 112 have a bevel top side 113 , thus providing a broadening section of the slider strip 76 at the front face edge 77 .
  • both recesses 112 are provided with a slider rib 114 in the same plane as the backbone 79 of the slider strip 76 .
  • the housing 36 has a wider upper part 82 at the cable entry side and a narrower lower part 83 at the pin receiving side (see FIG. 3B ).
  • a front side of the housing 36 comprises a recess 84 over the length of the narrower part 83 (see FIG. 3A ).
  • a U-shaped latch 86 extends above the recess 84 .
  • Two legs 87 of the U-shaped latch 86 confine a slider strip receiving recess 95 with a stepped cross section, which is narrower at the latch surface than below the latch surface to keep the slider strip 76 within the recess 95 .
  • the slider strip receiving recess 95 may have a dovetail cross section instead of a stepped cross section.
  • the slider strip receiving recess 95 extends along the length of the latch 86 from a lock end 105 , where the lock strip 76 can be slid into the slider strip receiving recess 95 , to the snap end 91 .
  • the edges of the legs 87 confining the slider strip receiving recess 95 are provided with facing open sides or slits 88 to form the stepped cross section for tightly receiving the backbone 79 of the slider strip 76 in a sliding manner (see FIG. 3C ).
  • the top ends of the legs 87 are connected to flaps 116 shaped to fit within the recesses 112 in the front face edge 77 of the slider lock 38 .
  • the slider ribs 114 of the slider lock front face edge 77 are received in corresponding slits 117 at a side of the flap opposite to the side that lays against the slide strip 76 .
  • the slider ribs 114 in the slits 117 and the backbone 79 received in the slits 88 join the slider lock 38 and the outer housing 36 in such a way the slider lock 38 acts as an extended lever of the of the U-shaped latch 86 .
  • the backbone 79 and the slider ribs 114 form sliding guides with the recess 95 and the slits 117 respectively. Via these sliding guides the slider lock 38 can be slid onto the connector housing 36 in a direction B coinciding with a connecting direction C of the connector assembly 1 , and with the longitudinal direction of the slider strip 76 .
  • FIG. 12 the clip 37 and the housing 36 are shown without the slider lock 38 and with one side wall of the housing 36 broken away.
  • a bridge 85 connects the flaps 116 to the side walls 90 of the recess 84 and forms a pivot axis A allowing resilient pivoting by the latch 86 .
  • the pivot axis A substantially coincides with the lower edge of the front section of the slider lock 38 and is perpendicularly crossed by the slider strip receiving recess 95 .
  • the legs 87 of the U-shaped latch 86 have a lower wall 92 extending to the cable entry edge of the housing 36 . This lower wall 92 and the flaps 116 are connected to the bridge 85 by a side wall 93 .
  • the lower walls 92 , the side walls 93 and the bridge 85 form a first sliding guide for guiding the slider lock 38 into the desired position.
  • a second sliding guide is formed by the slider ribs 114 received in the slits 117 .
  • the clip 37 is provided with resilient lips 94 pushing against the top ends of the lower walls 92 of the U-shaped latch 86 to bias the U-shaped latch 86 into a downwardly tilted securing position.
  • the lips 94 are received in corresponding openings in the housing 36 at the latch side of the connector.
  • the lower walls 92 of the two legs 87 are connected by a bridge 91 , shown in detail in FIG. 11 .
  • the bridge 91 forms a snap end of the latch 86 and is configured to snap over the projection 30 in the recess on top of the pin header connector housing 2 (see FIG. 2A ), as will be explained hereinafter.
  • the resilient lips 94 of the clip 37 bias the bridge 91 to snap over the projection 30 .
  • FIG. 7 shows the slider strip 76 inside the slits 88 with the top wall bordering the slits 88 being broken away.
  • the slits 88 are locally narrowed by two oppositely arranged cams 97 , dimensioned to slide along the narrowed section 81 at the outer edge of the slider strip 76 .
  • the U-shaped latch 86 is dimensioned in such a way that its walls bulge elastically to allow further passage of the slider strip 76 .
  • the cams 97 in the slits 88 snap into the narrowed section 81 of the slider strip 76 , allowing the elastically bulged U-shaped latch 86 to buckle back into its original shape.
  • the ears 96 of the slider lock 38 partly cover the top ends of the side faces of the housing 36 and the openings 75 with the resilient flaps 73 of the clip 37 . This way, the risk of unintentional release of the clip 37 is effectively reduced.
  • the outer end of the slider strip 76 is in line with the outer end of the U-shaped latch 86 .
  • the flaps 73 of the clip 37 have top ends with profiled cams 98 .
  • Both ears 96 of the slider lock 38 have a set of two indentations separated by a stop 99 : a lower indentation 101 and an upper indentation 102 .
  • the lower indentation 101 is bordered by a chamfered edge 103 .
  • the assembly of slider lock 38 , clip 37 and housing 36 can then be coupled to the pin header connector 2 , as shown in FIGS. 10A-C in consecutive steps.
  • the narrower section 83 of the housing 36 is inserted into the receiving cavity 5 of the pin header connector 2
  • the U-shaped latch 86 holding the slider lock 38 is slid into the first section 23 of the recess 22 on the top face of the header connector housing 4 .
  • the U-shaped latch 86 snaps over the projection 30 in the recess 22 of the pin header connector 2 . If the top face of the projection 30 slants down in the direction of the strip 29 , as disclosed above, the projection 30 will pull the U-shaped latch 86 to snap into its final position.
  • the slider lock 38 effectively extends the housing 36 (see FIG. 10B ) and accordingly forms an additional lever for manoeuvring the U-shaped latch 86 .
  • a first audible click provides user feedback informing the user that the two connectors 2 , 3 are connected and locked.
  • the mating face of the cable connector encounters the bottom of the receiving cavity 5 of the header housing 4 .
  • the slider lock 38 can still be pushed further into the second section 24 of the recess 22 on top of the pin header connector housing 4 .
  • FIG. 9B shows in cross section the slider lock 38 capping the housing 36 in the same stage of assembly as shown in FIG. 10A .
  • the stops 99 At the side of the first indentation 101 the stops 99 have a stop face 99 A substantially perpendicular to the assembly direction.
  • the cams 98 have a corresponding stop face 98 A, preventing passage of the cams 98 beyond the stop 99 .
  • the housing of the pin header connector 2 comprises two inwardly chamfered flanges 104 flanking the receiving opening (see also FIG. 2B ). These chamfered flanges 104 engage the flaps 73 of the clip 37 and gradually push the flaps 73 inwardly, until the stop face 98 A of the cam 98 does not abut the stop face 99 A of the stop 99 anymore. A chamfered edge 98 B of the cam 98 now starts abutting a correspondingly chamfered edge 99 B of the stop 99 , allowing further inward pushing of the flap 73 so the flaps 73 can pass the stop 99 .
  • the force needed to push the chamfered edge 98 B over the chamfered edge 99 B is larger than the sum of the remaining mating forces, which includes friction forces between the pin contacts and the terminal contacts and the force required to drive the latch 86 over the projection 30 . This way the slider strip 76 cannot be pushed into the recess 24 before the cable connector 3 is fully mated with the pin header connector 2 .
  • the stop 99 has a sloping face 100 . After passing the stop 99 the cam 98 of the flaps 73 snaps into the second indentation 102 (see FIG. 9E ), resulting in a second audible click informing the user that the locking of the two connectors 2 , 3 is now secured.
  • the sloping face 100 of the stop 99 pulls the flaps 73 and the cable connector 3 upwardly against the top flange 110 of the slider lock 38 . As a result, any attempt to unlock the cable connector by pushing on the top flange 110 will fail since it would drive the flaps 73 and the cable connector 3 further into the slider lock 38 .
  • the tip 106 of the slider strip 76 is chamfered.
  • the flanges 26 narrowing the open side of the second section 24 of the recess 22 on the pin header connector housing 4 have contact faces 107 which are chamfered at a corresponding angle. In the final position the chamfered tip 106 will engage the chamfered contact faces 107 and will be pushed down even if the slider lock is slightly tilted during assembly, as shown in FIG. 11 .
  • FIG. 13 shows in cross section the connector assembly 1 of the cable connector 3 with the pin header connector 2 .
  • the assembly 1 is similar as the assembly in FIG. 1 , with the difference that the pin header connector 2 is held by the hold down members 17 in a vertical position.
  • the slider strip 76 is connected to the top flange 110 with a thickened root section 118 engaging the outer wall of the housing 36 of the cable connector 3 when the slider lock is pushed into its securing position. This further fixates the slider lock 38 relative to the housing 36 and prevents any manoeuvrability of the slider strip 76 by pushing the cable entry side of the slider lock 38 .
  • FIG. 14 shows an alternative, more simplified embodiment of the cable connector 3 .
  • This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3A-C , the main difference being the absence of the slider strip 76 and the slider strip receiving recess 95 .
  • the connector comprises a slider lock 121 having a front face 122 with a rectangular recess 123 receiving a rectangular lock end 124 of the latch 126 .
  • the front face 122 of the slider lock 121 has edges 127 parallel to the assembling direction, i.e., the direction in which the slider lock 121 is slid onto the connector 3 , indicated by arrow B in FIG. 14 .
  • the assembling direction coincides with the connecting direction C indicated in FIG. 10A .
  • the edges 127 are provided with ribs 128 engaging corresponding slits 129 in opposite sides of the lock end 124 of the slider lock 121 to form a sliding guide.
  • FIG. 15 shows a cross section of the top end of the connector after it is capped by the slider lock 121 .
  • the flaps 73 are provided with a non-releasing cam or ridge 131 hooking behind a corresponding undercut 132 at the inner side of the slider lock 121 . This helps to prevent release of the slider lock 121 .

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
US14/895,516 2013-06-07 2013-06-07 Connector assembly Active US9564704B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

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PCT/IB2013/001334 WO2014195747A1 (en) 2013-06-07 2013-06-07 Connector assembly

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US20160111808A1 US20160111808A1 (en) 2016-04-21
US9564704B2 true US9564704B2 (en) 2017-02-07

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US (1) US9564704B2 (pl)
EP (1) EP3005491B1 (pl)
CN (1) CN105284016B (pl)
HU (1) HUE041880T2 (pl)
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WO (1) WO2014195747A1 (pl)

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DE102015201089A1 (de) 2015-01-22 2016-07-28 Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh Zwischengehäuse mit einer CPA-Aufnahme und Steckverbindersysteme umfassend ein solches
JP6584887B2 (ja) * 2015-02-26 2019-10-02 日本圧着端子製造株式会社 ソケットコネクタ
FR3051080B1 (fr) * 2016-05-09 2022-07-22 Delphi Int Operations Luxembourg Sarl Ensemble de connexion et procede d'assemblage de cet ensemble de connexion
CN108036483B (zh) * 2016-11-01 2020-07-17 苏州三星电子有限公司 一种卡扣及具有该卡扣的吸顶式空调
DE102017003296B3 (de) * 2017-04-04 2018-05-30 Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh Steckverbinder und Verfahren zur Herstellung einer Steckverbindung
US11276960B2 (en) 2018-01-31 2022-03-15 Molex, Llc Connector with connector position assurance device
CN110600936B (zh) * 2018-06-30 2021-03-23 中航光电科技股份有限公司 插头壳体组件及插头、插座
CN108983364B (zh) * 2018-07-04 2024-04-12 湖南中科光电有限公司 一种裸纤对接器以及非标式光纤活动对接结构
CN110797689B (zh) * 2019-11-06 2025-08-01 温州意华接插件股份有限公司 结构稳定的高速插座电连接器组件
CN115776003A (zh) * 2021-09-07 2023-03-10 莫列斯有限公司 线端连接器、板端连接器及其组合
TWI820549B (zh) * 2021-12-24 2023-11-01 台灣莫仕股份有限公司 連接器
CN115159622B (zh) * 2022-06-15 2024-04-12 华能八〇三热电有限公司 一种反渗透浓水回收装置用线路连接器
CN222072328U (zh) * 2024-04-17 2024-11-26 东莞市普乐固技术有限公司 一种连接器装配结构

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HUE041880T2 (hu) 2019-05-28
EP3005491A1 (en) 2016-04-13
CN105284016B (zh) 2020-01-03
CN105284016A (zh) 2016-01-27
PL3005491T3 (pl) 2019-06-28
WO2014195747A1 (en) 2014-12-11
EP3005491B1 (en) 2018-12-05
US20160111808A1 (en) 2016-04-21

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